Afbeelding
Internship and NHL Stenden experiences
'What I really appreciate about NHL Stenden is that they offer the possibility to practice the basics of every hospitality department in a hotel environment. The first-year students work at an operational level within the area they focus on. In the second year of the course, you take on the role of supervisor, delegating tasks. As a third-year student, you find yourself in a management position. This way, you learn important things about every part of the industry; that’s what is unique about NHL Stenden.
I also appreciate the size of the study groups at NHL Stenden. My friends from Germany always complain about sitting in an auditorium with 400 other people without any personal contact with the lecturers.
There are a lot of international students at NHL Stenden. I now have friends from Spain, Russia, and Finland, which is not something I expect would have happened had I studied at a university in Germany.'
Design-Based Education and minors
'The first DBE session was a little bit weird, because we were new to the concept and had to learn how it works. I wouldn’t consider myself a shy person and I don't have any real problem speaking out, it just took some time getting used to the concept. People that did struggle with voicing their opinion really got more involved as the modules went by. You get to know and trust each other, so that makes it really personal too.
Because I had already travelled a lot before starting my studies, I decided not to go on an exchange or on a Grand Tour during my studies. Though, I do think going abroad is a super important thing that every student should consider. Especially those that plan on working in an international environment.
Instead, I decided to do the minors Food & Beverage Management and Room Division Management. Both were interesting minors and the latter was especially surprising; it had some useful HR elements in it as well. That’s the area I want to focus on later.'
Leeuwarden and student life
'I think Leeuwarden is an unbelievably cute and typical Dutch city. The great thing about Leeuwarden is the personal contact: when I go to the city centre or when I go out, I come across a lot of people I know. It also makes it easier to meet new people. Leeuwarden is a good mix between a small village and a big city, which is ideal for me.
From what I’ve experienced, it’s very important as a student to find a balance between your personal life and your school life. You need to study hard, but also enjoy the social aspect of studying here. Finding a balance is really important and I think you can apply that to any topic, at every point in your life.'
Internship and job prospects
'After 3 years of living in Leeuwarden, I feel like it’s time to move on. I am going to move to Munich to work as an intern in Mariott’s Westin Grand 5* Hotel. I am going to be working as a Human Resource Trainee and will be responsible for 400 employees. This position will give me a lot of responsibility and will allow me to work in the field I am interested in. I want to put my skills to the test and find out if this kind of job would suit me. If it does, I am going to go on and get my master’s degree in HR.'